January 14 - Circumcision of the Lord: history and traditions of the Orthodox holiday
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- January 14 - Circumcision of the Lord: history and traditions of the Orthodox holiday
Every year on January 14, Orthodox believers celebrate the Circumcision of the Lord, a celebration that symbolizes the necessity of observing God's laws for all believing people. In 2025 it falls on a Tuesday. About the history and meaning of the Church holiday read in the material "Izvestia".
Circumcision of the Lord - the history of the Orthodox holiday on January 14
Circumcision as a rite of dedication to God existed in many ancient peoples, including the Jews. It began to take place in the Old Testament times.
According to legend, when the forefather of the Jewish people Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and told him that he would give rise to a great lineage with countless descendants, which would receive special divine protection. In honor of this, Abram and his wife of 90 years, Sarah, were given new names, Abraham and Sarah. They were also commanded to establish the rite of circumcision for all males in the lineage.
The next day Abraham and his household fulfilled G-d's will, and a year later Sarah gave birth to a long-awaited son Isaac. According to God's commandment, the boy underwent circumcision on the eighth day after his birth. This rite has been performed on every male Jew ever since.
Christ was also a descendant of Abraham, so circumcision was obligatory for him. Without it, he could not become a full member of Jewish society, for the uncircumcised had no right to visit the temples, pray, or live in the family of the Israelites. During the ritual, the Virgin Child also received the name Jesus, which means "Savior."
Circumcision of the Lord in Orthodoxy - meaning
In the Old Testament, circumcision was seen not just as one of the obligatory rituals, but as a form of contract between man and God. By going through this procedure, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah emphasized their belonging to the divinely chosen people, and also pledged to obey the commandments and lead a righteous life. Spiritually, circumcision was also considered a restraint on carnal passions and sinful aspirations.
Even though Jesus, being the Son of God, was born sinless and did not need deliverance from worldly passions, he still underwent circumcision. According to the holy theological interpretation, thus the Savior demonstrated strict observance of the Divine law, showing an example of righteous behavior to people. At the same time, his obedience to the ancient rules emphasizes that the New Testament does not cancel the Old Testament and does not contradict it, because the right to establish new laws has only the one who exactly observes the existing ones.
In the first centuries of the Christian Church, the Circumcision of the Lord also served as one of the proofs that Jesus was a real flesh-and-blood man, and not a disembodied spirit, as many heretics believed, who denied the truth of the earthly incarnation of the Son of God.
In the year 49 at the Apostolic Council, circumcision for Christians was officially abolished, and in its place came the "cutting of the heart" - holy baptism. From that moment on, the process of a person's consecration to God became exclusively spiritual. Now for belonging to the church the believer was required to perform not an external physical ritual, but an inner effort of the soul.
Circumcision of the Lord - 2025: traditions
The celebration in honor of the Circumcision of the Lord was established in the IV century. It became a reminder for all Christians of the need to observe the laws, both divine and human. Therefore, on the holiday, believers should visit the temple, and if this is impossible - take time to pray at home.
In Russia, the Circumcision of the Lord coincided with several important celebrations. On this day, the church also remembered the preacher Basil the Great, who is considered the inventor of the iconostasis.
Traditionally, in honor of the holiday, villagers gathered for a common meal. On the table were put kutya and pastries in the shape of different animals. After the feast was over, a large fire was lit outside, into which a sheaf of wheat ears was thrown, as well as old clothes and other unnecessary items. People believed that such a ritual would help to get rid of the negativity accumulated during the year and attract a good harvest. Young people took part in various games, and unmarried girls guessed their fiancé.
In 1699 Peter I issued a decree, according to which the New Year in Russia should have been celebrated in the European manner - January 1. Before the transition to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, this date also coincided with the Circumcision of the Lord.
On the eve of the celebration in Malorossiya (modern territory of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and western Russia) it was customary to go around the courtyards and sing special congratulatory songs - shchidrivki. For this the owners of the house treated their guests with sweets or gave them a part of the dishes from the festive table. In other regions of the country, a similar ritual existed under the name "caroling". It was held during the Christmas season to celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ.
Earlier "Izvestia" told about the history and traditions of celebrating the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
